


Sleepless

by fireflysglow_archivist



Category: Firefly
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-02-08
Updated: 2004-02-08
Packaged: 2019-04-29 07:12:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14467620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fireflysglow_archivist/pseuds/fireflysglow_archivist
Summary: Wash can't sleep, River gives insight.





	Sleepless

**Author's Note:**

> Note from alice ttlg, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Firefly’s Glow](https://fanlore.org/wiki/Firefly%27s_Glow), and was moved to the AO3 as part of the Open Doors project in 2018. I tried to reach out to all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are the creator and would like to claim this work, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Firefly's Glow collection profile](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/fireflysglow/profile).
> 
>  **Author's notes:** it occurred to me, it has to suck having marital problems on a relatively small spaceship. and i wanted to write something with Lucid!River.

  
Author's notes: it occurred to me, it has to suck having marital problems on a relatively small spaceship. and i wanted to write something with Lucid!River.  


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Sleepless

## Sleepless

### by GaiaTam

Wash could say a lot of things about his Serenity, but there was only one that he was really thinking about right now. 

Other than your bed, there was really nowhere comfortable to sleep. 

Okay, so maybe that wasn't strictly true. Wash had been in Kaylee's hammock once or twice, and that was relatively comfortable. But unless you had some pressing business there, Kaylee invited you, you were the captain, or you were River, you didn't go in the engine room. Simon had taken pity on him, so he was sleeping in the infirmary. He had said something, he wasn't sure what, and now Zo wasn't talking to him. And he had gotten back to the bunk to find that Zo had locked it from the inside. So, he went to Simon, the only sane, not homicidal person on the ship likely to be awake still, with the intention of striking up a conversation. Wash had pulled all-nighters before, he'd do it again, and he was going to do it now because he hated going to sleep on a fight, even if he didn't know what it was about. It would be a simple matter to make it up, really, once Zo was awake. She might avoid him for a few hours when she first woke up, but eventually he would find her, and she'd already be softened by the fact that she'd made him sleep elsewhere. So all he'd have to do was ask what he'd said, listen while Zo explained why it upset her, apologize, and then they'd have mind-blowing makeup sex. And that would be nice. 

But that didn't mean sleeping in the infirmary didn't suck. 

Wash sighed and sat up, swinging his legs down. Sleep wasn't going to happen anytime soon. He wandered to the bridge, thinking he'd check on how they were doing in their journey to New Ireland. He found River there, staring out into the black. 

"He doesn't sleep," she said without turning. "Can't sleep. Can't go to sleep on a fight." 

"That's right, River," Wash said warily. "I can never sleep when I'm fighting with Zo." 

"Go to sleep and it disappears and it lingers. Stay awake and it goes away forever. Can't afford another fight. Can't afford another thing between them." 

Wash shifted uncomfortably. He didn't like the direction the conversation was going. "The stars are beautiful, aren't they?" he pointed out in an effort to change the subject. 

River turned, still focusing up where she had been, now looking at the ceiling. She looked down into Wash's eyes. "You like dinosaurs. They're a part-that-was of Earth-that-was. So you play with them." 

Wash nodded. "Would you like to play?" 

River cocked her head thoughtfully. "Yes." 

Wash smiled a little and picked up his dinosaurs. He handed the triceratops to River and kept the raptor for himself. "The raptor has just hatched a cunning plan to eat the triceratops. You can be the triceratops and foil my every move." 

River cocked her head again. "You're an odd man." 

"Thank you." 

River looked down at the figurine in her hand. She then handed it back to Wash. Once her hands were free, they went up to cup his face. 

"She doesn't want to fight either. It will all be all right." 

She then moved away and down to the bunk, footsteps so light Wash couldn't even hear them. He blinked a few times and smiled. 

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Title:   **Sleepless**   
Author:   **GaiaTam**   [email]   [website]   
Details:   **Standalone**  |  **PG**  |  **gen het**  |  **3k**  |  **02/08/04**   
Characters:  Wash, River   
Pairings:  Wash/Zoe   
Summary:  Wash can't sleep, River gives insight.   
Notes:  it occurred to me, it has to suck having marital problems on a relatively small spaceship. and i wanted to write something with Lucid!River.   
  



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